Black River, St. Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica

More than just a food lover’s paradise, Black River is a town with many secrets and surprises waiting to be discovered.

lack River is the closest town to Treasure Beach and where you can find a bank, a grocery store and a record shop worth exploring. There is also a vibrant produce market that’s busiest on Fridays and Saturdays. A trip to the Black River market can be a food lover’s odyssey. Black River itself deserves more than a passing glance. At its height, the 19th-century town was as prosperous as any city in the New World. Black River had electric power as early as 1893 at the same time as New York City! In those days, the town was a center for the export of logwood, from which a blue dye was extracted. It had a horse racetrack and an active gambling life. Several wonderful 19th-century buildings still stand in various states of restoration and decay, lovely examples of Jamaican Georgian architecture. If you’d like a guided tour of this historic town, ask the front desk to contact Allison Morris whose “Way Back When” walking tour provides a unique, local perspective on the town’s history, highlighting the parish church, graveyard and other points of interest.